Tuesday, April 21, 2015

THE AMERICAN SONGSTER DOM FLEMONS TO HOST LEAD BELLY TRIBUTE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER, FEATURING ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS

Dom
Flemons – a founding member of the GRAMMY-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops – has
been announced as the host of “Lead Belly at 125: A Tribute to an American
Songster,” a one-night-only show taking place at the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on April 25 at 8:00pm.

The
show, which is produced by the Kennedy Center and the GRAMMY Museum, features
Flemons as master of ceremonies for a star-studded lineup of talented artists,
including Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, Lucinda Williams, and
Valerie June.

Huddie
Ledbetter, or Lead Belly as he was known, is a folk blues legend who has
influenced countless artists from Nirvana to Led Zeppelin. He ranks among other
pillars of American folk music such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

“Lead Belly showed me there was a strong
secular black folk song repertoire, separate from the blues,” Flemons says. He
continues, “Lead Belly’s legacy can show us something that is truly human in
music. I’m honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to someone who has
had such a strong influence on me.”

Lead
Belly has received newfound attention this year with the release of “Lead
Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection” box set and documentary film
“Legend of Lead Belly,” which has aired on the Smithsonian Channel.

Flemons
pulls from traditions of old-time folk music to create new sounds. Having
played music professionally since 2005, he received acclaim, including a GRAMMY
win and nomination, as part of the African American string band the Carolina
Chocolate Drops. His most recent album, “Prospect Hill,” his first since
leaving the group, has received praise from The Boston Globe, Paste Magazine, and
Living Blues Magazine, and he has been featured on NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry
Gross.”